news from the lab 2010

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Should a wind farm be built in a particular region, or is the integrity of the landscape a more important consideration? How should the wastewater infrastructure be designed in the future? Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a recognised tool for weighing up such environmental questions, and an important stage of the methodology is to ascertain the preferences of those involved: What is important to them when making their decision? What

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic worm infection affecting 250 million people globally. The current prevalence thresholds for preventive chemotherapy of schistosomiasis are based on the Kato-Katz method using stool samples.

How the eye builds circuits to detect motionScientists could explain how the eye creates circuits to analyze motion. The detection of motion in the retina is based on circuit asymmetry, a fundamental computational principle in the brain.

Physics - Chemistry - 13.12.2010

In the future: processing and memory on a single chipResearchers have shown that a magnetically polarised current can be manipulated by electric fields. This important discovery opens up the prospect of simultaneously processing and storing data on electrons held in the molecular structure of computer chips - combining computer memory and processing power on the same chip.

Physics - 06.12.2010

Antimatter: A step forwardThe ASACUSA experiment at CERN has taken an important step forward in developing an innovative technique for studying antimatter. Using a novel particle trap, called a CUSP trap, the experiment has succeeded in producing significant numbers of antihydrogen atoms in flight. Antimatter - or the lack of it - remains one of the biggest mysteries of science.

Environment - Chemistry - 30.11.2010

Formic acid in the engineDo ants hold the key to the fuel of the future? Formic acid provides more efficient and safer storage of hydrogen.

Social Sciences - Media - 25.11.2010

Plurilingual SwitzerlandSwitzerland deals flexibly and pragmatically with plurilingualism. It does this successfully. Nevertheless, immigration and increasing international integration are posing new challenges to schools, economy and administration.

Physics - 17.11.2010

Antimatter atoms produced and trapped at CERNThe ALPHA experiment at CERN has taken an important step forward in developing techniques to understand one of the Universe's open questions: is there a difference between matter and antimatter? A study shows that it has successfully produced and trapped atoms of antihydrogen. This development opens the path to new ways of making detailed measurements of antihydrogen, which will in turn allow scientists to compare matter and antimatter.

Life Sciences - Health - 11.11.2010

Circuitry of fear identifiedNeurobiologists have identified, for the first time, clearly defined neural circuits responsible for the processing of fear states. These findings could ultimately help people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety disorders. Fear arises in the almond-shaped brain structure known as the amygdala.

Chemistry - Physics - 08.11.2010

Graphene: a promising materialGraphene is a promising material for tomorrow's nanoelectronics devices, as reported myScience.ch earlier . Precise and upscaleable methods to fabricate graphene and derived materials with desired electronic properties are however still searched after. To overcome the current limitations, researchers have fabricated graphene-like materials using a surface chemical route and clarified in detail the corresponding reaction pathway.

Physics - 04.11.2010

The LHC enters a new phaseProton running for 2010 in the LHC at CERN came to a successful conclusion. Since the end of March 2010, when the first collisions occurred at a total energy of 7 TeV, the machine and experiment teams have achieved all of their objectives for the first year of proton physics at this record energy and new ground has been explored.

Reservoirs: a neglected source of methane emissionsSubstantial amounts of the greenhouse gas methane are released not only from large tropical reservoirs but also from run-of-the-river reservoirs in Switzerland, especially in the summer, when water temperatures are higher.

The oldest dog of the worldA fossil found more than 100 years ago in a cave in Switzerland may belong to the oldest domestic dog in the world.

Physics - 19.07.2010

Quasar acting as a cosmic lensAstrophysicists have for the first time observed a quasar that is located between the earth and a more distant galaxy and acts as a gravitational lens.

Physics - 08.07.2010

Protons - smaller than we thoughtThe proton - one of the smallest building blocks of all matter - is even smaller than previously assumed. As a consequence of this discovery, a correction will have to be made to either the quantum theory of how light and matter interact or to the value of the Rydberg Constant - i.e. an important change is needed to either the most precise theory in physics or the most precisely determined physical constant.